Monday, July 5, 2010

Patriotic Parade, Party, and Picnic

We started out the festivities DECORATING our bikes, scooters, strollers and wagons for the big parade!

Ryan worked so hard on his decorations. He really loves art activities.

Andrew chose to ride his scooter in the parade. Check out his cool headgear !

Molly was quite the parade princess, happily waving and clapping.

When we were ready for the PARADE, we headed out for a "leisurely" stroll around the block. (At varying degrees of speed, with the preteens and teens setting the record for fastest completion time, and the "do it myself" toddlers bringing up the rear).

When we were finished with the parade, we were ready to cool off with some WATER FUN! The kiddos changed into swimsuits and had a fun time with the sprinkler, slip and slide, pool, water table, and water balloons! (Which Chad has vowed to never fill up again. We spent 1.75 hours with only 80 something balloons to show for it. The balloons were all popped in less than 3 minutes. I think the kids enjoyed them though, so maybe he will forget his pledge before next year).

I highly recommend clicking on this picture above to see the larger version. Awesome shot of the balloon exploding on Andrew's bum! :)

For those who were not feeling inclined to get wet, we had BACKYARD GAMES. The kids and adults had a fun time playing volleyball, badminton, trackball, jumping on the trampoline, hula hooping, playing in the sandbox and on the swing set, and of course just hanging out and chatting.

Next, we headed up to the Campbells' home for a cookout and PICNIC. Everyone brought such yummy food to share!

The Greens brought Popsicles and my kids loved these fun appetizers, although in this pic my boys are of course... using them as light sabers. Can you tell which one is the bad guy?

Molly ate and ate and ate! When she finished her first plate, she found the plate of extra turkey burgers and hot dogs and helped herself! She wasn't deterred at all by the fact that she only has TWO teeth.

Dodie made THREE kinds of homemade ice cream! Blueberry Cheesecake, White Vanilla Custard, and Red Watermelon Sorbet. Delicious! And a to die for cornbread salad. What an amazing hostess.! Seriously when did she find the time? (I was lame and all I managed to do was cut up a watermelon and brought a bag of chips).

The kids had so much fun playing in the Campbells' backyard....especially on the roller coaster.

And at the end of the party....Little Miss Independent took 3 steps in a row.

Andrew

Andrew

Andrew is 12. He loves wolves, reading, acting, fencing, and exploring the woods! He likes to ride his bike, run 5ks, play with cousins, and play video games. (Zelda is his current favorite). He plays the piano and the french horn. And he is a Boy Scout. He is also a pretty nice guy.

Ryan

Ryan

Ryan is my silly 9 year old guy who loves to laugh, build Lego sets, read funny books, and who loves going to the Beach. He is learning to play the piano and loves to dance.

Molly

Molly

Molly is our darling 7 year old animal-loving, fairy princess. She loves art projects, playdates with her friends, swimming, dance class, reading chapter books, and playing the piano.